2nd Annual Mt. St. Helens Mothers Day Climb

I often wonder if climbing a mountain is comparable to race day for professional athletes. You wake up early, you feel a keen sense of anticipation from the moment you open your eyes and you know in that moment that without a doubt, you are going to expend every bit of energy you have that day trying to succeed.

This was the case with 23 climbers on a beautiful Saturday morning last weekend on Mt. St. Helens, as we all set out for the long 6000' climb to the crater rim. We talked, we laughed, we focused, our heartrates accelerated and some of us struggled more than others but after approximately 6 hours of taking step after step, we all made it! And in following a mountain tradition, every single one of us wore a dress to celebrate our moms.

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Our lofty goal

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Making our way up to and past 5000'

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A very happy crew of dressed up climbers on the crater rim at 8200'

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Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Springtime Softball

It's that time again! Team Box Knockers is well into their 3rd season with their 4th game this upcoming Sunday. I have only had the chance to play one game so far, but it was a doozy and tons of fun. Who knew I'd love softball so much?!?

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My chin after getting hit in the face by a ball in game #1
Yes, I cried
Yes, I went back out there and kept playing
And yes, I may have scared all my colleagues in Denmark

DK

As part of my new job with Vestas, I have been in Denmark for the last week and a half for some training with my new server team. During the week, I have been staying up north in a small town called Randers but this weekend, I made a solo 3 1/2hour drive to Copenhagen.

Copenhagen is a beautiful city full of copper spires and even some canals. During my short time there, I ate some yummy food, toured the palace where the Crown Prince and Crown Princess are supposed to live and took a boat tour (something I always regretted not doing in Amsterdam).

Now I'm back at work and happy that the airports in Denmark are finally opening up tomorrow after the long closure due to the Iclandic volcano ash cloud. I fly out Friday and am hoping no further closures or long delays keep me from getting home.

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A famous canal with lots of life and energy, as well as multiple modes of transportation

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Amalienborg, the palaces of the royal family but broken down looks like a name out of a sci-fi movie

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They get to wear the coolest hats in Amalienborg

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Evening silhouettes

1st Vestas Business Trip: Pueblo, CO

Last weekend, my new Vestas colleagues and I made our way to Pueblo, Colorado to do some after hours IT work. We were only there overnight and the work took place at an 800 acre site used by Vestas to build towers for the wind turbines.

The goal:
Facilitate the move of a 1000 lb server rack to the new server room.

Though fraught with logistical issues (culminating in a call to an electrician at 10:00 at night), it felt so good to be doing real IT work again, brainstorming for solutions and thinking with a technical perspective. Hopefully, my numerous and neverending round of meetings that I experienced at W+K are a thing of the past.

In the end and despite the unexpected long hours, my team and I stayed positive and got the job done, learning a few things along the way.

Glorious Guatemala

For the past week, I have had the good fortune to travel about Guatemala, and I must say that I had an amazing adventure.

From previous travels in Central/South America, I expected that:

As a rich tourist by Guatemalan standards, someone would try to rip me off (happened at least once)

There would be a multitude of stray dogs, shoe shiners and utterances of "No Gracias" on my part

Local men would get all googly-eyed, say "Hola" or whistle when females pass, as is the culture

What I didn't expect was:

The friendliness of the people as smiles and greetings of "Buenas Dias" were so easily given and received in Antigua

Almost everything I did, whether it be yoga, camping or simply walking down the street, would be within view of 1 or more of Guatemala's 30+ volcanoes

I would get to see the city of Antigua transformed as celebrations for Semana Santa (Holy Week) got underway

So thanks again Michele for suggesting this amazing country as a place for me to escape reality for just a little bit.

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The dock at Villa Sumaya, where I spent 3 days on a yoga retreat, doing yoga twice a day

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My tent at the Earth Lodge, an avocado grove in the highlands just outside of Antigua

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Hanging in a hammock with a view of some volcanoes

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An eruption on Volcano Fuego, a common site

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Transporting back to Antigua, Guatemala style

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Hiking up Volcano Pacaya

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Lava flow! So hot it felt like a sauna and the shoes of the girl beside me were melting on the hot rocks

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Hiking back down as others come up

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Antigua street with yet another volcano

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Parque Central in the early morning light

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The start of one of the many processions during Semana Santa in Antigua

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A Semana Santa float carried down the streets of Antigua by children

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A larger float carried by adults

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These temporary works of art, known as alfombras, are spread across the streets of Antigua during Holy Week

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An alfombra in creation

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Leaving Antigua in a tuk-tuk

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Check back soon for a Semana Santa video!

Guatemala Bound

Tonight I leave for Guatemala on a much needed break from reality. Due the spontaneity of this trip, I had no time for research and decided to copycat an adventure my beautiful and amazing friend, Michele, took in January.

During this escape, I will hopefully explore the colonial Spanish town of Antigua, do yoga on Lake Atitlan, camp at an avocado grove, and if all goes well, climb a volcano. My Spanish is rusty at best and it has been a long time since I've traveled alone in a non-English speaking nation, but as my time to fly gets closer, my nervousness is turning into anticipation.

Check back for pictures!

The Winds of Change

This week I turned in my notice at Wieden+Kennedy.

Leaving the company where I have spent my last year of employment was not an easy decision. There are many things I love about W+K, such as my super talented IT team, dogs roaming the halls at work, midday yoga, freedom of working hours, a 6th floor balcony with views of mountains and kegs on most floors.

However

I felt I was losing a part of myself there. The pressure, the hours and the rigor began to weigh heavier and heavier on me. I stopped writing, I stopped drawing, and I stopped practicing piano. Ironically, it was almost as if the most creative side of myself got shut down working at one of the most creative companies in the nation.

Well, for those of you that know me, you know that I'm not afraid of change. An opportunity came my way for a position at Vestas, a Danish manufacturer, seller and installer of windmills around the globe. Besides working for a green company, the offer itself was too good to pass up.

I start on April 5th.

In the meantime, I have a few days left to finish at Wieden+Kennedy and then I am off to be surrounded by the volcanoes of Guatemala for a week to center myself before starting my next position.

This week was pivotal. Everything is changing.